Building capacity and reliability in mining materials handling Digital insights are delivering step changes in the efficiency of materials handling operations through integrated processes and proactive maintenance services.
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igitalisation will play a major role in the future of materials handling in mining. It will not only be key in delivering mines to the next level of efficiency, but will also initiate changes in the industrial landscape going forward. Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO at Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa, discussed the trends taking place with materials handling operations. “We already see a clear trend of process integration through applying digital technologies vertically and horizontally,” she says. “This delivers complete integration through all the technical hierarchies, from the field level up to enterprise resource planning (ERP), as well as complete integration in plant life-cycle management, from design up to operations. This improvement will make significant opex and capex savings possible and also open up new ways of production management. For instance, by integrating different kinds of simulation technologies, a beneficiation process can be tested and even fine-tuned before production starts.” The benefits can also extend across the value chain. For example, using digital insights, production management can be conducted end-to-end based on the market needs and price realisation possibilities; the digitalisation journey in mining is just beginning. Dall’Omo points out that digitalisation also has a critical role to play in decarbonising mining — a key focus for most major
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and mid-tier miners currently. “Both digitalisation and electrification will be key in creating more sustainable business practices,” she says. “Therefore, for us at Siemens Large Drives Mining, these themes are a central component of our portfolio going forward. We are working with multiple external partners to extend our portfolio and to drive the digitalisation of the mining industry together. It’s an agile and fast developing area of the market, which requires openness and collaboration.” Siemens: integrated expertise for digital mines The challenges and opportunities associated with digitalisation are unique to each client and each mine site. Every company has different needs that require appropriate offerings. According to Dall’Omo, Siemens is able to assist customers who are in their infancy with their digital journey, by encouraging them to build a path towards integrated digital solutions. “For customers who are already in the implementation phase, we are able to offer a full suite of products and services, including engineering services based around functional requirements, and architecture design based on our multiple solutions. Complete software development can also be offered on a case by-case basis,” she explains. Siemens has various solutions for various applications within materials handling. For electrification, there is the innovative SIMINE solutions for mills, conveyors, mobile mining, trolley truck systems and mine hoists. There are also products and solutions for automation systems, which are customised especially for the mining industry. In partnership with MineSense, Siemens also introduced the latest developments in digitalisation. This enables the determination of ore characteristics in real time along conveying systems as well as material and quality management systems.
